Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-02-03
LIFE IN JAPAN.
Some Popular Errors Corrected by Native OF
the Country What He Thinks of 1.-THE
MikadO "A Thrifty PeOpIe

"
the Country What He Thinks of "The
Mikado "A Thrifty People.
Historical hall, at the corner of Pier
repent and Clinton streets, was filled to
the very doors last evening with select
audience who had gathered to listen to
an interesting lecture. The lecturer was
Prof. Inazo Ota, native of Japan, but
for many years student in this country.
and latterly professor in the Hopkins
university. Prof. Ota's delivery was very
fair, considering the obstacles in pronun-
citation he had to overcome in mastering
the English language.
The countries of Japan and America,
the speaker said, had been led to misun-
understand each other to much greater
degree than the inhabitants of either
country ever dreamed of. The better
class of Japanese society had gained the
idea that Americans are represented by
the class of drunken sailors who visit
their ports and who degrade the name of
America in every possible manner. So,
on the other hand the American people
have an idea that the poor class of ignor-
ant Japanese who come to this country
are fair representatives of the inhabitants
of the beautiful island of Japan. One is
no more mistaken than the other In
his lecture Prof. Ota said he would en-
deavor to describe the ''Family and Social
Life of Japan"
The island of Japan is about one-third
larger in area than the state of New
York, but owing to its peculiar shape and
position on the earth, its shores embrac-
ed as many parallels of longitude as the
United States coast from the southern
part of Maine to the northern part of
Florida. There are all sorts of climate
in Japan. In the north it is extremely
cold and in the south it is temperate and
warm. There are little more than 49,
100000 population in the Japanese en-
pire, and the people are all industrious.
ALI the trades flourish there as here. The
classes of population are there divided
very much as they are here. The rich are
aristOcratic, and the middle or business
class is democratic, and the coolies or
lowest class correspond to the ignorant
class of cheap, unskilled laborers in
America. The government heretofore
has been monarchy, and the present
emperor of Japan is the 123d in lineal
descent of his name.
Prof. Ota says that the elite Japanese
society in this country who have been so
unfortunate as to witness the opera of the
''Mikado" have been wonderfully astOnlsh-
ed at tke phases of true Japanese life of
which they never dreamed. The play, he
says, is not representation of life in ia
pan at all, but IS more properly bur-
lesque on Iondoners. Such names as
Nanki Pc, Ko Ko, Yum Yum, Petit Sing,
and the like are just about as far from
genuine Japanese names as anything
could well be. They have more of the
Chinese twag to them than anything
Japanese. But the character of the
Mikado himself, he says, is quite well
portrayed. Mikado originally meant two
words In the Japanese language-"Mi,''
which corresponds to our title of honor
able," and ''kado," magnate or ruler.
Centuries ago, the word was used as one,
and has been so used ever since. The
mikado is now the ruler of Japan and has
been since the revolution of 1868, when
the tycoon was overthrow. This revoIu-
ton, the lecturer said, was much such a
one as the rebellion. The tycoon was a
highland chieftain who had host of fol-
lowers who desired position. They form
ed a conspiracy to overthrow the former
Emperor of Japan and succeeded In do
ing Gnany years ago In the revolution
of 1868 the followers of the Mikado over
threw the tycoon and the mikado was in
stalled Emperor. The tycoon now occu-
pies about the same sort of position to
his country as does Jefferson Davis to the
United States. He lives on comfortable
estate, but is not heard of III matters
political. The two functions of Japanese
people, who were then divided as was the
north from the south in this country, now
harmonic and live peacefully together,
as do che people of the north with those
of the south here.
The lecturer was heartily applauded at
this stage of his discourse.
Japan of to-day, he continued, is as
free from depotism as any country on
the face of the earth. In 1890 she will
celebrate an event which has never been
chronicled in the history of any Asiatic
country, and which promises to be the
first toward the reformation of Asiatic
governments. In 1890 the first congre IS
of Japan will meet at the capital Then
the first house of representatives chosen
by the people to represent the people
will convene. Then will be held the first
international exposition ever held on
Asiatic soil. The lecturer then described
In very Interesting manner the style of
living of the better class in Japan. The
houses were adorned interiorly very
much as the houses of the
better class In this country. Rare article
of bric-a brac, bronzes, specimens of
fine art, needlework and embroidery ad
orned the walls as here. The cities are
much like our own. Street-cars built by
American manufacturers and run on Am
erlcan constructed roads, conveyed the
tourists to all parts of the principal cities
and in fact everything was patterned
very closely after the cities of America
ond Europe. The literature of the coun-
try was described, ond selectionu from
the poets and leading Japanese writer's
were given. The religion of the country,
the speaker said, was divided into three
classes. The first was purely idolatrous,
and the devotees worshiped more than a
million gods. The system came from
Corea ages ago. The second dated from
Confucius, of China, and,,is purely ethi-
cal system of worship. It explains the
principles of the right and wrong, OF sin
and purito; the relations of husband and
wife, and it's followers are the highest
class of people in Japan. The third sys-